The teacher of Plato and the founder of much of Western philosophy, Socrates is depicted here as a man who questioned everything that was assumed, proclaiming that he knew nothing even as he made others realize their own ignorance. "I'm not a wise person," he would say, "I just love wisdom." Richard Bowen sketches Socrates's life from his youth as an Athenian soldier to his death in prison in 399 BC, cheerfully unafraid to meet his end while remaining true to his beliefs, in this oversized picture book for readers 8 and up. The evocative umber and sepia illustrations suggest fragmented Greek pottery, with realistic scenes torn into shapes that further symbolize events in the story.